Retirement Plan Advisory

Strategic retirement plan guidance for employers seeking structure, fiduciary clarity, and long-term oversight.

Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, we serve clients nationwide. 

Retirement Plans Require More Than Setup

A retirement plan is not just a benefit offering. It is a fiduciary responsibility requiring governance, documentation, investment oversight, and disciplined decision-making.


Many plans evolve over time without structured review. Committees change. Recordkeepers remain in place for years. Investment monitoring becomes routine rather than intentional.


At Spherient Advisors, we are retirement plan specialists focused exclusively on advising employer-sponsored plans. Unlike many firms that treat retirement plans as a secondary service to individual wealth management, 100% of our clients are retirement plans.


Our retirement plan advisory services are built around long-term accountability — not one-time implementation. We help plan sponsors clarify structure, authority, and oversight before issues arise.

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Retirement Plans We Advise On

We provide advisory support across qualified and non-qualified retirement plan structures, including:

  • 401(k) Plans

  • 403(b) Plans

  • 457 Plans

  • Defined Benefit Pension Plans

  • Cash Balance Plans

  • Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plans

Plan types may vary, but fiduciary responsibility does not. Our advisory framework remains consistent — structured governance, disciplined investment oversight, and documented decision support.

How a Retirement Plan Advisor Supports Your Organization

An experienced retirement plan advisor provides more than investment recommendations. The role includes clarifying fiduciary responsibility, strengthening governance processes, aligning plan design with workforce objectives, and maintaining structured oversight.


Advisory support is ongoing. Oversight is structured. Decisions are documented.

We work alongside plan sponsors, committees, and internal leadership to:


  • Define fiduciary roles clearly
  • Strengthen investment monitoring discipline
  • Evaluate vendor relationships
  • Benchmark fees and service models
  • Align plan design with long-term strategy
  • Provide employee education and guidance that improves participation, engagement, and retirement readiness
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Retirement Plan Specialists With Dedicated Focus

Most advisory firms treat retirement plans as an extension of their individual wealth management business. As a result, plan oversight, fiduciary governance, and participant outcomes often receive limited focus.


At Spherient Advisors, we take a different approach.


We are retirement plan specialists. 100% of our clients are employer-sponsored retirement plans.


This exclusive focus allows us to deliver deeper fiduciary oversight, more disciplined governance, and more consistent long-term results for both plan sponsors and their employees.

Our Retirement Plan Advisory Services

Each service area connects to a defined governance framework. Together, they create a coordinated retirement strategy.

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Fiduciary & ERISA Compliance

Structured fiduciary oversight and documented governance processes aligned with ERISA standards. We help define roles, clarify responsibilities, and formalize monitoring practices.

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3(38) Discretionary Fiduciary Services

For plan sponsors seeking to delegate investment discretion, we provide structured 3(38) fiduciary services with disciplined investment monitoring and documented accountability.

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3(21) Fiduciary Advisory Support

Shared fiduciary oversight for committees that prefer to retain decision authority while receiving structured investment guidance and documentation support.

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Plan Design & Strategy

Strategic design consulting for 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans, including contribution strategy, benchmarking, vendor evaluation, defined benefit and cash balance and structural alignment.

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Employee Education & Participant Engagement

Structured education designed to help employees understand their retirement plan, make informed decisions, and engage more effectively in saving and investing for retirement.
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Ongoing Plan Governance & Committee Support

Long-term governance discipline through IPS development, committee reporting, investment monitoring, and structured documentation practices.

How a Retirement Plan Advisor Supports Your Organization

  • Advisory-First Structure

    We are retirement plan specialists, focused exclusively on advising employer-sponsored plans.


    Our work is centered on plan sponsors — providing guidance on governance, fiduciary responsibility, and structured decision-making. This dedicated focus allows us to deliver more consistent oversight, clearer recommendations, and stronger long-term outcomes for the organizations we serve.


    We provide objective, disciplined advisory support designed to help employers manage their retirement plans with confidence and accountability.

  • 100+ years of Retirement Advisory Experience

    Our leadership team brings decades of experience guiding plan sponsors through fiduciary oversight, plan governance, and recordkeeper evaluation.

  • Local Leadership

    Based in Richmond, Virginia, serving the broader Mid-Atlantic region. Clients work directly with experienced advisors, not call centers or layered brokerage structures.

  • Employee Education & Participant Engagement

    We provide structured education to help employees understand their retirement plan, make informed decisions, and engage more effectively with their long-term financial goals.

  • Documented Oversight

    Our process emphasizes clarity, accountability, and defensible governance — not reactive corrections.

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Testimonials

Trusted by Plan Sponsors

Our Retirement Plan Advisory Process

Strong advisory relationships follow defined structure.

  • Step 1: Assess

    We evaluate your current fiduciary framework, plan design, vendor relationships, and governance practices including evaluation of employee education and participant engagement

  • Step 2: Clarify

    We define roles, align authority, and identify areas requiring structural adjustment.

  • Step 3: Implement

    We coordinate plan design changes, documentation updates, and fiduciary alignment strategies.

  • Step 4: Monitor

    We provide ongoing advisory oversight, structured reporting, and governance support.

Oversight is not a single event. It is sustained discipline.

Is Your Retirement Plan Built for Long-Term Accountability?

If your committee structure feels informal, documentation inconsistent, or vendor relationships unreviewed, it may be time for structured evaluation.


We work with plan sponsors to design and oversee retirement programs built around fiduciary clarity, disciplined governance, and ongoing employee education — ensuring both oversight at the sponsor level and understanding at the participant level.